Inner city stores rate best for shopper experience

SYDNEY: Staff employed at four of Sydney's most popular retail precincts have been put on notice after a survey found room for improvement in the way they dressed and the manner with which they approached customers.

The survey, conducted in August on behalf of Reed Gift Fairs, saw one unindentified female and one male shopper dispatched to select stores across Oxford Street, Paddington, Chatswood and Parramatta, to investigate how stores at these sites dealt with customers.

The findings revealed the quality of shop attendants' presentation, their product knowledge and the way they approached customers, were potential risk areas when attempting to entice customers into shops.

The survey found the attendants presentation and initial approach skills rated significantly higher in Sydney stores than in the outer suburbs of Chatswood and Parramatta.

Chatswood stores took the wooden spoon when it came to attendants' presentation while both Chatswood and Parramatta fared poorly for the time taken and the nature of the first approach to the customer.

Errors included excessive piercing, unkempt hair and untidy or inappropriate clothing.

However staff weren't the only ones at fault.

The survey also found it was "very apparent" when retailers had not engaged professionals to lok after their merchandising displays with those done by amateurs appearing "cluttered, unplanned and poorly lit".

Similarly, it was clear when instore layouts were prepared without professional intervention with the mystery shoppers finding aisles were too narrow and difficulty in viewing products or getting around the store.

"Seventeen percent of stores were rated poor or very poor with common issues including boxes left on floors and untidy counter and back of store areas," the report said.

The Sydney stores rated highest in terms of window and front fascia cleanliness, paintwork condition, window displays and signage. Parramatta stores were the worst performing for tidiness.

 Reed Gift Fairs exhibition director Omer Soker said overall the program had shown that retail stores in Sydney were performing well.

"However, those areas that rated poorly could well make the difference between a customer returning to a store again, or telling other people about the experience in a positive rather than negative fashion," he said.